Cover clamp



Feb. 23, 1954 E, sCHMn-Z 2,670,232

COVERv CLAMP Filed Dec. 5 1951 Y Z7 JNVENTOR.

V wald chmz'tz BY @41W I ATTORNEYS.

are generally used with `glass-lined tank for the llike.

4a manway cover for a tank which ly operated, and which permits ease ofcleaning, 1 thereby providing for desirable sanitation chari the clampof the invention J the lower end of the clamp the wing-nut turned 270 ftive to the position of the wing-nut depicted in Fig. 3:

Patented Feb. 23, 1954 COVER CLAMP Ewald Schmitz, Milwauke SmithCorporation, ration of New York e, Wis., assignor to A. O. Milwaukee,Wis., a corpo- Application December 5, 1951, Serial No. 259,959

4 Claims.

generally to a clamp for manway covers such as large storage tanks forvarious liquid products. Specically, the clamp of this invention will bedescribed in association with a manway cover which may be used with astorage of beer or the This invention relates use in connection with Oneobject of the invention is to provide a relatively simple clamp for usein connection with in which a positive connection is afforded betweenthe turningr means employed and the clamp utilized in removably securinga manway cover to a tank in a desired location.

Another object is to provide a clamping means whereby the manway 'coverto which the means is applied is unlatched or latched in place withoutvvisual observation.

r the latter will be positively moved from locked or locking position sothat a removably secured manway cover may be easily and quickly removedfrom the container or tank to which it has been applied.

Another object is to provide clamping means for the manway cover of avessel or the like may be assembled with great facility,easiacteristics.

These and other objects will appear from the following description whentaken in connection `with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figurevl is a top plan view of a manway cover -secured to a manway orthe like by the clamps of this invention, sake of clarity;

with parts broken away for the Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinalsectional view of showing the clamp in a position to secure the manwaycover to a man- Way;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the clamp backed off so thatthe hook disposed at hook is disengaged from the annular flange disposedat the upper edge of a manway;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing counterclockwise rela-Fig. 5 is a view taken'on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

body I6 of the nut Fig. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

The following description will be limited to descri-bing a singleclamping unit in conjunction with a manway cover for a storage tank inwhich any suitable number of these units may be spaced about a vesselcover as best seen in Figure 1.

Briefly the invention comprises a 'clamping member for clamping a coverover an opening in the tank in which the clamping member is permittedlimited longitudinal movement and is actuated by rotational movement ofa threaded nut. The clamping member is provided with a stop or abutmentat one end, which frictionally engages a second stop or abutment on thenut disposed in the path of movement of the clamping member, theclamping member being moved by rotation of the nut. The binding actionbetween the two stop members causes a hook disposed at the end oppositethe stop end of the clamping member to swing outwardly from under a angemember on the tank which releases the cover member from engagement withthe tank. In tightening the cover in place the established bindingaction of the two stops causes the hook to immediately swing under theange for engaging the flange and'securing the cover in place. Eachclamping member shown around the circumference is the same.

According to the invention a manway I, which may be disposed eithervertically or horizontally, and having a wall 2, is provided with anannular flange 3, extending outwardly from the upper edge of the wall.

Cover 4 is disposed at the outer end of the manway I, and is shown asprovided with spaced annular bearing cups 5, adjacent its outer edge,each formed by the apertured base 6 and the circular flange 1, thelatter extending `outwardly from and upwardly and normal to the outerrim of the cover.

Gasket 8 of any suitable material may be dis posed between the ange 3and the cover, and when compressed between the ilange and the cover,provides an efcient seal between these members. y

Adjacent the upper edge of the ange 'I a threaded aperture 9 is disposedradially through the flange for the reception of a hex-socket setscrewI0. 'I'he inner end II of set-screw I0 is disposed, when the clamp ofthe invention is kassembled, in an annular groove I2 disposed radja-`cent the lower edge of the body of a wing-nut I3, as later described.

Wing-nut I3, provided with the usual handles I4, has a bore I5 extendinglongitudinally of the and is internally threaded at l1 from the lower a.distance substantially midway and provides a bridge 20 dles I4.

A threaded aperture erture 3, extends radially 3 edge of the nut,upwardly for the length of upper end I8 of the bore is reand is devoidof threads. The bore is tapered inwardly at i8 intermediate. the han-2I, disposed above the apthrough the body of the wing-nut, for thereception of a second hexsocket set-screw 22, the

is disposed in the inner end 23 of which. upper end of bore I8 when. the

set-screw is turned inwardly toserve-its intend.-

ed function.

Clamping hook 2 is provided with a smooth body 25 adjacent its lowerend`v which isdisposed in aperture 26 extending through basel 6 of cup 5and is adaptedfor vertioal'movement therethrough in response nut. Thelower end of body la' hook member to turning oi the wing- 21 which isadapted4 to seat a'gainst. the lower surface of flange 3' of the vesselunde'r" certain operating conditions.

ly above hook 21 .body stop lue outer vertical ed'g The mid-portion ofbody 251is fn 'a direction to wing-nut; The clamping hook` is disposedinthe l 25, and angularly onset from hook Immediateand'. extendingradially from 2.1) a

23 is disposed so that it will' engage the e of' iiange 3'.

threaded at 29 match the threads i'i 0i the f bore of the wing-nut whichin turn. isaligned withthe aperture 1in the base of the cup. Turnoffthewing-nut,v under conditions oi restrict- A.ed axial` movement. of thewing-nut, will cause tne clamphook to leed into. or out or` the. wing'-nut..

l, T be clamping hook. 241 is. reduced in diameter from the. threadedportion. toadjacent the upper ,end of the clampi or valziutrner-it 30 abvthe inner end 23 .downward travelof' the by the engageme'nt` oi .innerend. 23 of ng` hook. to provide a shoulder t. its upper of screw 22..The axial Clamping hookis limited l' In. assemblingv the clamp. unitthe.r wing-rmt .t3

is iriserted'mto the Set-screw ill,V is turned inwardly cover memben.

bearing. .cup 5- in the. manway -zsoythatfits inner end LLentei-s theyannular groove 'The wing-nut is-now free to turnin the naamw-a5; coverwhile. being. held from moving in an axial direction. Next the clam-pinghook. 24 isi threaded into the wingenut andset-screw 22 -.sturnedir-iwardly so that its at the: reduced. portion and under- 331ofthe clamping. hnolr..

To eiieot the inner end- 23. is the shoulder clamping operation with'the .aclarrrp fof this 'invention after the ela-inpsA have beenassembled on the cover mounted ,on the:

will clear the fjset vplace. "'hooisiare turned manway ange clockwiseuntil the stops 28 on the'hooks meet the manway ange.

is then given about one and 'Each wing-nut gne-hair' turns .in Supp thehook; and and' compress the a clockwise direction to draw clamp `thecover to the frange gasket S' between the coverand the ange 3. so that.a pressure-tightv seal results.

since` the Vrotation of. the,

urther. i`s`ev direction results in move- 25 is provided' with endto. beengaged the shoulder 3.0A with. the the set-screw 22.

and-'the never is tank', the ihoolis 2:4y are 1set rehooks 2li 'haltedby turning. .oi .the wirlgi ment of the hooks into the wing-nuts, with aresultant compression of the gasket.

To effect removal of the cover from the manway, the wing-nut of eachunit is turned in a counterclockwise direction. This will cause thehook` 24 to be fed downwardly. with relation to thebody ofthewing-nutiand flange 3 until shoulder 3i) of hook unit 24 engages theinner end 23 of the set-screw 22. At this time the axial movement of thehook unit is arrested and because of the binding action between shoulder30 and the inner. endof the set-screw the hook 21 will swing tree of.iiange.- 3 tothe position shown in Fig. 6.

' .ing rneanson said cover` wardy beyond the: iange.

reassembly of the hook unit will result in the hook 24 oi the unitswinging beneath flange 3 due to the established binding engagement ofshoulder 3U with setscrew or abutment 22.

The invention provides. aA structure.` for attaching a vcover in placewherein a. positive means is employed to rotate the hool: units and'.swing thehook portion oiV the unit to. pOsitQns: either beneath orremoved from theiiange of thestructure with which the cover. isemployed.v

Various .embodiments of the invention maybe employed Within the scopeofthefollowing calims.

I claim:

l. In acover assembly for. a. storagetaint:n or. the like having, aflange extending cxcumferentially oi an opening in thetank,^ alcoveroverlyingsaid opening andy extending .radially outwardly imm saidflange,1 upstanding yflange means. on. said covena hollow covertightening member secured to said cover flange against axialmov-GmBntbut freeto rotate,.a n abutment providedorr theinside ci. thecover tighteningt member). a clampingmember threaded into the covertightening member, a hook disposed. .on one endA of: the. clampingmembenan abutmentprovided onthe othervend or the vclanniping memberadapted. to binding-ly engage. the abutment Ot the. Cover tighteningmember upon relatiae=V rotation ofthe.- members and efleet. positiverotation of the-haakt into. and out of. p0Sition.ior-eneaaement withtheaneular cover rotation of each `flange. of the tank, and a. seeondabutment ori-:the

Ithe like having. ra. circumterentially. extending iiar-ige surrounding..an-

opening zin; theY tank., a cover overlying said opening and flange,ibearprojecting. radially outa nut. rotatably- Seemed to said bearingmeans. an .abntmenton-saidmut,

. a clamping, member-extending thnongh thebearf means andv threaded intathe. nut,A

e, .henk

at one end ot theclamping-memben. a shoulder; at

:the ini-tial mammina' rot the other end of the clamping mernbpnadapted`to heI mit ,upon

ation. 0f thenllt t0 effect posi-tive .rotation et; said. nook; ontgof;and

when the cover is. 1 'After thecofver isset in place the f hei mm 'andia' lug mm he ...adapted `to `engagev the edge into position forengagement with the iange .of clamping member ott the; trinkt-flange iand the rotational movement: .or .the hook arto,y a.. positive loekednrunlocked. position.

z use inconnectien having an annular dansent-tending 'circumferen- 3.The combination of a cianrn'and cover.- .tor with a storaeetankior thelike tial-1mi an. ,opening for the tenis which comprises a cover forsaid opening having an upstangiing .circularcup extendingaxiallpoi saidcogen, an

interiorly threaded cover tightening membergwing shape disposed Withinsaid cup, said tightening member being free to rotate within said cupbut restricted in axial movement therein, a clamping member threadedlydisposed Within the tightening member, a hook disposed at one end of theclamping member and adapted to bear against the annular flange of thetank, an abutment disposed at the opposite end of the clamping member,and a set screw threaded through the side of said tightening member andextending inside the tightening member beneath the abutment on theclamping member to limit longitudinal movement of the clamping memberdownwardly and bind the clamping member to the cover tightening memberto effect swinging movement of the clamping hook into and out ofposition for engagement with the annular ange of the. tank.

4. The combination of a clamp and cover for use in connection with astorage tank or the like having an annular ange extendingcircumferentially of an opening for the tank which comprises a. coverfor said opening having an upstanding circular cup extending outwardlyof said cover, a nut having an interiorly threaded body disment of thenut, an

posed within said cup, a threaded clamping member disposed within thenut body and disposed to move longitudinally upon rotation of the nut,a. hook disposed at the lower end of the clamping member, means toprevent longitudinal moveabutment on the upper end of the clampingmember, a second abutment disposed in said nut to limit longitudinalmoveand limit the rotational movement of the hook. EWALD SCHMITZ.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

